Alone and Free
by Light of Polaris
Summary: Love controls Elsa's powers but what happens in the absence of love? When she's angry, she still can't stop the winter storm. For Jack, it's only been fifty years since his creation: too short a time to reconcile his loneliness. How will their encounter shape their future? Takes place after Frozen but before RotG. Jack Frost x Elsa. Humor, Romance, and Drama.
1. A Voice

_I didn't do that_, thought Jack as he examined a field buried deep in snow. During summer. Sometimes he liked to bring winter a little early or stretch it out a little late to keep the Guardians on their toes but never right smack in the middle of summer. It was so odd then, to see such a thing on his way south to bring winter to the other hemisphere. It was time to do some investigation. He whistled up a wind and started flying further in but the snow began to disappear rapidly. Soon it was impossible to follow it and he had no idea where to find its source.

_This doesn't make sense_, he thought. That snow wasn't natural and, as far as he knew, he was the only one who could conjure it. Not that he knew much about himself either. The Man in the Moon was still as silent as the day Jack rose from a lake with these powers and no memories. The only thing he really had was his name: Jack Frost.

Could there actually be someone out there like him? Maybe, for once, he wouldn't be alone. This hope propelled him forward even though there was nothing to follow. Eventually, he came across a few farms and a curious shack called "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post...and Sauna". Everyone he saw was unusually happy and joyful. Was there some sort of festival day going on in this kingdom? As he crested a hill he looked down into a beautiful valley that ran right into the ocean. Its port was filled with ships from all different countries, judging by their flags. In the center of the valley and surrounded by water on one side was a lovely castle with the rest of the town spread out before its gates. He noticed that there was more raucous celebrating going on here too. He flew in closer and went down the streets towards the castle. He caught snippets of conversation as he passed.

"It's so warm!"

"I hear that prince-"

"Princess Anna was-"

"Do you think-"

"I always said she wasn't a monster!"

"I never want to see another snow-"

_What exactly is going on here?_ Jack wondered again. The situation was completely bizarre. Random snow, a monster, people happy to have it boiling hot out? Maybe there'd be some answers at the castle.  
As he approached he heard a musical voice call out, "Are you ready?"  
He flew through the open gates just in time to see a woman dressed in a gorgeous gown that shimmered like ice create a place for people to ice skate with nothing but a flick of her hands. He fell from the air, shocked, and landed flat on his back. He watched as the ice spread over the ground and up the walls in spirals, sparkling and beautiful. The people in the courtyard cheered as she then gifted them blades of ice on their shoes. All of it seemed effortless to her. Jack had to have his staff to use his powers and he still hadn't quite mastered them. This was amazing. Where did this woman get her powers? Was she created by the Man in the Moon like him? But, no, looking around the courtyard at all the people watching her, he knew this wasn't true. They could see her. Disappointment flushed through him yet again. Why could no one see him? Even this woman, who seemed so similar to him, was still different. Would he forever be this way? Alone? Out of anger, he made a skating couple slip on the ice. The woman came over to them to see if they were all right.

Jack couldn't help notice that she was really beautiful. Her hair was as white as his and her eyes as deep a blue but hers glimmered in the light and her hair was long and looked soft as snow. Everything about her spoke of wintry beauty. Her dress only added to the effect.

She helped the couple to their feet with grace in her movements. Who was she? Momentarily distracted from his frustration, he kept watching her as she moved around the courtyard talking with people and smiling. People bowed respectfully as she passed. Was she a princess?  
"Queen Elsa!" The woman turned as a large man slipped and slid towards her. She was a queen? It suited her. Jack moved closer so he could hear their conversation.  
"Hello Kristoff," she said with a tender smile.

"I just wanted to thank you for that sled," he said. "It's so beautiful I almost cried."

"You _did_ cry!" A girl with reddish brown braids came up behind him, laughing.

"You earned it, Kristoff, I should still be thanking you for taking care of my sister when I couldn't," the queen said.

"That makes me sound like I was completely helpless. I can protect myself," the girl huffed.

"You would have frozen to death before you got to your sister if it hadn't been for me," the man, Kristoff, said.

The girl punched his arm and took off around the ice while he chased her. The queen smiled at the scene but it didn't quite reach her eyes. It was strange but while she seemed so elegant and lovely, she also looked terribly sad.

"Try being alone for a few decades before you make a face like that," Jack said.

The queen whipped her head around in search of the voice but her eyes passed over Jack. He couldn't believe it. She heard him. She _heard_ him. Even if she couldn't see him, it was the first time anyone noticed his existence. He was itching to say something else but he didn't want to freak her out. He needed to take this slow. This was his first chance to communicate with someone in decades: he wasn't going to waste it.

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**Hope you like my first chapter! :3 I love this ship! XD I would have written more but, from past experiences, I think it's better if I write in easy chunks. I hope you have expectations as to where this is going because I can't wait to show you otherwise! XD Unless you're a genius and figured out my master plan...who knows? Leave a review! ~Polaris ;)**


	2. A Hope

Thanks to all who reviewed my first chapter! I'm glad you're all looking forward to my updates! :3 I hope I don't disappoint! Hopefully, my creativity and free time keep up so I can update frequently. Thanks for reading! ~Polaris ;)

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Jack waited until nighttime before he tried approaching her again. He had to wait a long time before she was alone. People were constantly approaching her to ask about this matter or that matter. It wasn't until she retreated to her bedroom for the night that people left her alone. Being a queen seemed like such a big hassle. He didn't understand why people willingly shouldered so much responsibility. It reminded him of that big old guy up north and that annoying kangaroo.

Despite their apparent differences in lifestyles, Jack was going to make sure he got along with this woman. He didn't care if she was a brat or what, he just desperately wanted someone to talk to. Someone who would talk back.

He waited for her to take a seat by her fireplace, unlit, with a book before he ventured into the room. Now was the difficult part. What would he say? He had to think of something good so that she'd be curious and want to talk back. It was important that he avoid scaring her otherwise she probably wouldn't talk to him at all. As he thought, his eyes settled on the book in her hands. "Jack Frost: The Winter Child" read the title.

"That's me! There's a book about me?" He said aloud. The queen shrieked and dropped the book, swinging her head wildly about the room looking for the source of the voice. Darn, he had forgotten where he was for a moment and spoke to himself like he always does. So much for not scaring her!

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he tried to correct his mistake. An icy wind was blustering through the room and making a mess but it wasn't Jack's. He could only assume it was the queen's, conjured by her fear.

"Where are you? How are you invisible?" She shouted. Her chair was slowly acquiring a coat of ice as she gripped it tightly.

"That book you're reading? That's me. I'm not invisible, it's just that adults can't see me," he spoke calmly. He was such an idiot. He was already messing this one opportunity up but secretly, he felt extraordinarily happy to be holding his first conversation since his birth.

"This? This is a children's book! I demand you show yourself!" She said. She stood up from her chair and took a threatening stance. Her fingers glowed with icy power.

"I can't! You're not a child, you won't be able to see me. I don't even know why you can hear me," he pleaded but then stopped as he realized what she'd said. "Wait. Hold on. If it's just a children's book, why are you reading it?"

She didn't blush, if anything she looked paler and considerably more uncomfortable, at his question. "That's none of your concern," she said.

"Considering the book is about _me_, I kind of think it is," he said.

"I don't even know _what _you are let alone who you claim to be," she responded.

"I'm Jack Frost. If that book told you anything, it must have told you that I'm like a winter spirit or something," he said, frustrated. It was tiring trying to get her to believe. No wonder the Guardians gave up on adults. It's too much of a hassle.

"That's reassuring. _You_ don't even know what you are," she said. All throughout their exchange she had been looking about the room, trying to pinpoint where his voice was coming through. Unfortunately for her, Jack hardly ever stayed in one place.

"You're right, I don't. I just woke up one day on a frozen lake with no memories and the Man in the Moon told me my name. That's it," he said, his tone bitter. It hadn't been that long ago in his mind. "No explanation for my powers, nothing. I figured out how to control it all on my own."

"Do you know why I can't see you?" She asked. She seemed a little calmer or at least not as openly hostile.

"Only that adults can't see me. It works the same for the kang—I mean, the Easter Bunny and Santa," he said.

"You're asking me to believe in quite a bit now. Santa and the Easter Bunny? They exist?" she asked, skeptical.

"Yeah, they're kind of annoying though. Especially the Easter Bunny. He gets mad when it's still snowing at Easter time," he said with a laugh.

"Ok…so say they do exist. Children are the only ones who can see you?" She asked. She was starting to relax now, believing that no threat was present. Jack was started to feel relieved, maybe he hadn't messed up as badly as he had thought.

"Well, I know it's true for them but…" he paused. This was the tough part. How could he explain that she was the first person he'd talked to since his creation without sounding completely desperate for company? Even if it was true.

"Go on," she urged.

"They can't see me. No one can," he said. The queen couldn't see it but Jack's expression became so pained with those two statements, it would have made anyone cry. As it was, she could hear it in his voice.

"But if that's true…then you've been alone since you were…created?" she asked with a note of sympathy.

"Yeah," he said.

"How old are you?" she asked.

"I lost track a couple of times but I'm more than half a century old," he answered. She gasped and covered her mouth, her expression sad. It looked as if she was going to cry.

"What? What did I do?" He asked quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was make her cry, so consumed was he with keeping the conversation going.

"It's nothing," she said with a throat full of tears. "I just…can't imagine being alone that long."

"Well, it's not easy. I can tell you that much," he said. She wiped at her eyes and tried to breathe deeply. As she looked around the room, she caught sight of the book lying on the floor, forgotten.

"Wait a minute. If you're Jack Frost, then you have winter powers too?" She asked, excited.

"Yeah, I thought I mentioned that," he said, confused by her sudden mood change.

"Well, I was too busy being terrified by a disembodied voice to make the connection," she defended. "You know how to control it?" She looked more eager to hear what he would say next than anything else during their conversation.

"I've had more than 50 years to practice. I'd say I'm pretty good at it but I can't do some of the wonderful things I saw you do," he admitted.

"I'm talking about when you get mad or scared, do you ever lose control of it?" She asked. He thought back to the couple he'd knocked over earlier._ That wasn't losing control though, that had been intentional_, he thought to himself.

"No, not really," he told her. She smiled a true smile then. Not the one he'd seen earlier that didn't meet her eyes.

"Could you teach me?" she asked.

"Why? You look pretty in control. I saw what you did outside, that was amazing," he said, bewildered. What could she learn from him?

"Yes, I can make snow and ice now when I want to but I still lose all control when I'm angry. I don't want to hurt anybody," she sighed. "I can't leave again. My kingdom and my sister need me but I don't want them to suffer because I can't control my temper."

"What do you mean? You left? But aren't you queen?" It was hard for him to imagine a queen who was so busy during the day leaving her kingdom.

"It's a long story," she said.

"I've got more time than I need," he responded.

"All right, well, it started when my younger sister said she wanted marry a guy she just met…."

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That's it! Leave a review! :)


	3. An Apology

Hey everyone! Wow. I was stunned when I saw how many followers this got. Oh my gosh XD Well, here's the third chapter! I switching it up a bit. Oh and you might see some familiar people...enjoy!

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Elsa relaxed into her pillows and stared up at the ceiling. Had that really just happened? A spirit she could only hear but not see suddenly appeared and told her she was the only person he's talked to in two hundred and fifty years. What's more, he also had ice powers like hers. She had told him all about the events of the past few days and she listened as he explained how he'd found her. It was fun, actually, more fun than she could have imagined. It just felt so nice to talk to someone who could understand her and her powers. He was even going to teach her how to control it!

Before he'd left, he promised to come back tomorrow so they could start practicing. She assumed that he had actually left but when you can only rely on your ears for confirmation, you'd never know for sure. She had never been so excited she couldn't sleep but it seemed tonight would be that first time. She rolled over and over but the feeling wouldn't leave her. It wasn't until much later in the night that drowsiness overcame her and she fell asleep.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Elsa, are you in love?" Elsa stopped dead in her tracks and turned to Anna.

"What? Where would you get such a notion?" Elsa asked. She was still getting used to her little sister's blunt and willful nature.

"Well, it's just that you seem _really_ happy today and I thought, well, it had to be love!" Anna said. She gave a little twirl on the last word and Elsa was beginning to feel slightly embarrassed. Where did she get so much energy?

"Is there something I should be sad about?" Elsa asked.

"Huh?" Anna said as she gave Elsa funny look.

"You're questioning why I'm happy, but if there is nothing to be sad about, then isn't this normal?" Elsa said. She continued walking down the corridor towards the throne room. Even though he'd said he wouldn't be back until afternoon, Elsa really hoped that her new spirit friend wasn't hanging about for this thoroughly awkward conversation.

"I guess you've got a point. I've just never seen you happy before," Anna remarked. Instantly, Elsa felt guilty. Anna had hardly seen her at all these past years. It was natural that she'd not seen Elsa happy. In fact, Elsa couldn't even remember if during her years of isolation she had ever felt such a joyful emotion. It was mostly fear and loneliness combined with the crushing weight of responsibility.

"I'm sorry, Anna," she said. "Things will be different now."

"Yeah they will! We're going to ride bicycles all over the castle and we're totally building snowmen in the ballroom!" Anna laughed and grabbed Elsa's hand. "Come on, let's run."

"Anna, wait, that's not quite what I meant!" Elsa tried to argue but she was too caught up in her little sister's pace. "Oh, whatever," she said to herself as she began to run alongside Anna. They raced all the way to the doors of the throne room.

"That…was…a good…race," Anna said through her huffing.

"I can't….believe….I won," Elsa responded, just as short of breath.

"What? No! That was totally a tie!" Anna said, finally getting her breathing under control.

"Sore loser," mumbled Elsa. She fixed her dress and wiped her sweaty face with a handkerchief. She straightened her dress and then said to Anna, "It's time to address the remaining nobles from the coronation." She turned towards the doors and beckoned the guards, who had been watching the whole scene, to open them.

"Oh, well, I'll be skipping out then. Me and Kristoff are going swimming. See you!" Anna gave her sister a kiss on the cheek and dashed off down the hallway. Elsa was surprised for a moment at the sudden affection but then shook it off as the doors fully opened. She went to her throne as the herald announced her presence to those assembled. She took her seat and gazed about the room. There was the princess and her husband from the kingdom of Corona, the Duke and Duchess from Glaesia, and the lord from Peralina left. The rest of them had taken their leave as soon as the ice had thawed. She feared this might mean some tense relations between her country and the others. Hopefully she could get these nobles, at least, to leave here with a better opinion.

"Good morning, I've gathered you all hear to apologize for the events of the last few days. All responsibility for the trouble caused is mine. I hope that it will in no way affect your countries' relationships with Arendelle," Elsa said.

"We suffered through a lot because of your antics. I demand compensation," the Duchess said. She was a portly woman with interesting taste in clothes. Her outfit was almost entirely composed of brown and black garments.

"Who are you kidding? You spent the whole time in front of a fire eating whatever food you could get your hands on!" Princess Rapunzel said. The Duchess immediately flushed red and opened her mouth to argue back.

"Please, be calm," Elsa interrupted. "I have already prepared gifts for just such a purpose," she said. She was touched by Princess Rapunzel's defense but she was determined to restore order to her kingdom, even if it meant lavishing gifts on underserving people.

"Your Majesty, you don't have to. It was no trouble at all to us. We're just glad you're back and safe," Princess Rapunzel said.

"I will gladly accept her gift-" began her husband. Princess Rapunzel elbowed him in the stomach and he was quiet.

"It's quite all right. I've already had some servants load the gifts onto your ships. You're free to depart whenever you like," Elsa explained.

"Then we'll be leaving now," said the Duke. They bowed to Elsa before leaving the room.

"She was a horrible pig," said Princess Rapunzel as the doors closed behind them.

"She ate like one too," her husband added. Elsa couldn't remember what his name was even though he'd been introduced the night of her coronation. A snort came from the lord of Peralina who had remained a silent observer throughout the conversation.

"I've never seen a woman eat so much chocolate before," he said. An elderly man, the lord spoke quietly and gravely. It was such a contrast to what he'd said, Elsa laughed out loud before quickly covering her mouth.

"See? That's how it should be. You're a little too serious, your Majesty," Princess Rapunzel said as she laughed too.

"Pardon me, I shouldn't laugh, however true it may have been," she said with embarrassment..

"You should spend some time in Corona. It might loosen you up a bit," the Princess' husband said. "We could also use some more beautiful ladies," he winked.

"Eugene." Princess Rapunzel said as she glared at him. "Don't be a flirt."

"Well, I think it's time we got going. It was nice meeting you, Queen Elsa, and I hope we meet again." Eugene said.

"I hope you get sea sick," Princess Rapunzel muttered. Turning to Elsa she said, "Sorry about him. I hope we do meet again. Take care!" With that, they both left the room, leaving Elsa and the lord alone.

"Your Lordship, I hope you weren't inconvenienced by the events of the past few days," she said. He hadn't expressed any opinions on the matter yet so she thought it best to apologize again.

"On the contrary, it was quite interesting. I think this country is in good hands," he smiled kindly. "Congratulations on your coronation. I'll tell my country nothing of what occurred," he said as, he too, took his leave. At last, Elsa was alone. After so many years by herself, you'd think she would be sick of being alone, and she was, but since she had been so used to it, the tons of social exchanges she'd been having tired her quickly. _I think I need to spend some time with Jack again_, she thought.

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Hope you liked it! I know it didn't have any Jack but Elsa needs some character development too! XD Please leave a review! ~Polaris ;)


	4. A Lesson

Oh my gosh guys, I am SO glad to be done with finals. In case you were wondering, that's what kept me away from this fic. Ah, the life of a college student. Oh well, here's a new chapter. I hope you like it! I'm so happy so many people are following this story! It makes me feel special ;3 Love you all!

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"Hey there, listening for someone?" Jack surprised Elsa. She squealed and turned around because the voice had been so close to her ear. The rug froze over.

"I really wish I could see you," she said, her expression angry. "It's not fair that you can scare me like that."

"Lighten up! That'll be the perfect cure to your temper problems," he said. Elsa couldn't see it but Jack was smiling from ear to ear. He had been so excited to have his second encounter with Elsa that he'd almost given England an early spring.

"Oh if only. Speaking of which, you're going to teach me today, aren't you?" she asked. Jack momentarily lost his smile. Back to that again. He really didn't know what she was expecting from him. He wanted to keep talking to her but he wasn't sure she would if he disappointed her. He also wanted to make her have more confidence in her powers because they were definitely amazing. He just wondered if he was the right person for the task.

"Sure," he said, realizing she was waiting anxiously for an answer. "First show me how you clean up that ice."

She looked down at her feet and sighed. Jack guessed that she hadn't realized she used her powers. She waved her hand and it vanished.

"See? You have control. So long as you can make it disappear, what's the harm in letting loose every once in a while?" He asked.

"You don't understand. What if in that moment I lost it, I did something irrevocable? Like impale someone," she said, her expression pained.

"Point taken," he said. "I guess we should get started then." Jack suddenly had an idea on what to teach her. It seemed simple enough and he was sure he could make up a reason for doing it.

"Ok, so what should I do?" she asked.

"Oh no, we're not practicing here," he said. Her face grew confused.

"Then where-" she began before Jack picked her up and flew out the window.

"Somewhere cold, I hope you don't mind," he said with a laugh as he flew over Arendelle with its Queen in his arms. She remained silent as Jack flew far to the north and landed on the very mountain she had built her castle on. Curiously, it had vanished. Jack wondered why she was so quiet and when he set her down, he realized why. She was completely frozen in shock.

"Are you all right?" He asked her. She remained still for a few moments longer before shaking it off.

"You have no idea how bizarre I feel right now," she said. "I was picked up by something I can't see, flown through the air with nothing below me, and brought so far north in only a matter of minutes."

"It seems you're long overdue for surprises. I'm happy to help," he said.

"Please don't do it anymore. I think I've had enough," she said with a sigh. "Well, now that you've brought me all this way, what are we doing?"

"Making frost art," he replied.

"But that's…such a small thing," she said with disappointment.

"You'd be surprised. I think it will help you fine tune your abilities since it's such a delicate process," he made up. It sounded like a pretty good reason to him.

"Oh, that makes sense," she said with a smile. Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do you think you could make a couple of clear ice walls?" He asked. He'd seen her make the ice rink so he thought she could manage something like that. He couldn't do much more than make it snow and freeze things.

"No problem," she said. She stomped her foot and the ice grew out from where it landed. Two walls, side by side, covered in snow came into being. Softly, she touched them and the snow instantly flew away leaving them clear as glass. It was the most wonderful thing in the world to see her use magic. He'd thought so ever since the first time. She just seemed so happy and free and she should be. She should be using her magic all the time; it was a part of her that she shouldn't deny.

"Wow, you're really good at that," he said.

"Oh, it's really nothing though," she said, embarrassed. It was as if she was unused to praise. That decided him; she needed someone to compliment her abilities whenever possible if she was going to accept them for what they were.

"All right. Now, I want you to make anything you want. It just has to be small because that's the whole point," he said. He watched as she stepped up to the wall and gently placed one finger on it. Frost swirls spiraled across the ice at her touch and spread over the entire surface. She took her finger away with a frustrated expression.

"That was a good start," he said. "But you may need to think about what you're doing a little more."

"I _was_ thinking about it. I don't understand how I can't do something so simple," she replied.

"Hey now, you can't go thinking you're going to get everything right on the first try," he tried to console her. He racked his brains to think of a different approach.

"I can only make big things happen. Is that why I lose control so easily?" she wondered, still upset.

"Maybe, but that's something we're going to fix," he paused for a moment, thinking. "Try imagining this: Your power is a river. It's wide at some parts and narrow at others. Find a narrow spot and cross it. Then try again," he said. It sounded mildly lame to his ears but she seemed to take it seriously because she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was imagining it. She reached out her finger to the second wall of ice. The frost spirals spread across the surface again. However, this time they didn't go as far. They seemed to far a small circle around where she touched. She opened her eyes and looked.

"That was a lot closer, it worked!" she exclaimed. "Jack, you really are a good teacher."

"Good work, thanks," he smiled. He was glad it worked for her even though it was yet another thing he made up on the spot.

"Can I see you make something?" she asked. She was staring into the air around her, perhaps trying to catch a glimpse of him.

"Sure," he said. He stepped up to the same ice wall as the one Elsa had just made her circle on and picked a spot that wasn't too close. He gently tapped his staff against it. The frost formed a silhouette of himself.

"Who is that?" Elsa asked. Jack was pained for a moment. What he would give to be seen! But he shouldn't get greedy. At least someone could hear him.

"That's me, actually," he said. "Pretty handsome figure, huh?"

"Really skinny, actually. You might even be skinnier than me if that's accurate. Do you eat enough?" she said.

"I'm not a real person, I don't need to eat," he responded.

"Maybe you should anyway," she said, looking at the silhouette again. "I recommend chocolate for every meal."

"I don't think we should be worrying about my health right now," he said with a laugh, trying to draw the conversation away before she began a lecture. "Let's return to practicing."

"All right, I think I've got it under control now," she said as she tried again. She kept going until Jack decided it was time to take her back. She'd made definite progress. She could even make comprehensive shapes.

"I'm giving you a fair warning this time," he said just before picking her up again. She still squealed a bit but she covered her mouth to stifle it. He flew back to Arendelle and dropped her off at her bedroom window. It was nearly evening. They'd been out almost the whole day.

"Oh no, I'm sure people were looking for me," Elsa said as she too noticed the time. "I hope Anna didn't go anywhere to try to find me again."

"Sorry, it was hard to tear you away when you looked like you were having fun," he said.

"I was having fun," she said quickly. "Oh well, I'm back now so it doesn't matter anymore. I'll just tell them I was on a walk."

"Well, I'll take my leave then. I've got some continents in desperate need of a snowstorm," he said, sad to have to part.

"Oh, alright," she said. Her was about to take off through her window but then she called his name, "Jack?"

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Will you come again tomorrow?" she asked.

"Sure thing, I'll be here," he responded with a silly grin.

"See you—I mean, I'll talk to you later?" she said.

"No problem," he said. With that, he flew out the window on the winds. What a good day today had been. He was looking forward to what each knew day would bring now that he had someone to share them with.

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That's it! Leave a review and let me know what you think? Is there anything you think I need to work on? Any tips? I promise to update more frequently now, especially since I already know how I'm going to end it XD Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ~Polaris ;)


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